To measure wheel speed (e.g., in an automotive application) typically a ferromagnetic wheel is used in combination with a magnetic sensitive sensor and a magnet mounted to the sensor. The sensor generates output-pulses. A control unit counts the pulses and is able to calculate wheel-speed and actual angle of the rotating wheel.
In camshaft sensing applications, a Hall monocell configuration may be used that enables output switching at the tooth edge of a toothed wheel. A z-magnetized back bias sensor in combination with the Bz-sensitive monocell sensor generates a sinusoidal signal as the ferrous target wheel rotates in front of the sensor. The maximum amplitude is achieved when a tooth passes the sensor, while the minimum signal is achieved when the sensor faces a notch of the toothed wheel. Thus, the sensor device switches on the tooth edge.
A benefit in using a Hall monocell sensor is that the sensor is twist-insensitive such that the sensor will work independent from a mounting position regardless of its rotational orientation around its z-axis. Thus, an air-gap between the sensor module and the wheel can be adjusted during mounting using a screw. That is, twisting the sensor module using the screw will adjust the air gap and the rotational orientation of the sensor can be disregarded. Accordingly, the assembly tolerances are relaxed during mounting of the sensor due to the twist-insensitivity.
On the downside, Hall monocell sensors have a disadvantage in terms of stray-field robustness. Stray-fields are magnetic fields that are introduced by external means located in the proximal environment of the sensor. For example, components located within a vehicle (e.g., for hybrid cars due to current rails driving high electrical currents close to the sensing device or due to inductive battery charging) or a currents flowing through a railway of a train system that generates magnetic fields may cause stray-field disturbance.
Alternative to the Hall monocell sensor, differential Hall sensing elements may be used to increase the stray-field robustness. In a differential Hall sensor, two Hall plates are spaced apart. The output signal is calculated by subtracting the Bz signal of the first Hall plate from the Bz signal of the second Hall plate, and a homogeneous stray-field in the z-direction will cancel out due to the differential calculation.
The differential Hall signal has its signal maximum at the rising edge of a tooth of the wheel and its signal minimum at the falling edge of a tooth of the wheel. Thus, in contrast to the Hall monocell sensor, the output of the differential Hall sensor switches on the tooth center and the notch center.
However, because the switching point is different, a vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU) needs to be reconfigured to adjust the switching point. Furthermore, another disadvantage of the differential Hall sensor is that it is not twist-insensitive. Twisting the sensor module around its z-axis, will result in a decreasing signal. The worst case is a twist angle of 90°, where both Hall plates sense the same Bz-field. In this case no differential signal is available and the sensor is not able to detect a tooth or a notch.
Therefore, an improved device that is both twist-intolerant may be desirable.